Pick it up Man!
More changes for the Amulets & Armor project. This update I’ve got an interesting video for you. It shows how you can pick up items now in the look mode.
The following demo video (sorry for the horrid sound, at least I now have sound) shows me throwing down items and picking them up using the look mode mouse controls. This works really well and will make the game easier to navigate. Oh, and there is an interesting bonus in there concerning one too many fireballs.
Makes you think that would be an interesting feature in the game — without the blindness. But, sorry, no, I’m going to kill it and require spamming of the mouse button. It’s just too much.
A Little More Control Please
Part of the reason for the slow update is I’ve been working on something behind the scenes as well. Well, two things.
First, I’ve just been, as I like to put it, “massaging” the code. Cleaning it up in short. For the programmers out there, over the years I’ve learned it is better to do this:
#include "Subsystem1.h"
#include "Subsystem2.h"
#include "Subsystem3.h"
Than to have this:
#include "AllSubsystems.h"
And I do this for a couple of reasons. Using a single header for ALL your .h files causes everything to recompile each and every time you make a change to one of those .h files. Even with precompiled headers, a change in a .h file triggers all .c files to recompile. This is slowing me down and I don’t know what I was thinking years ago. Unfortunately, this was done everywhere and is taking some time to get out. To help keep me on track, I’ve been doing the changes as I go.
The second more important behind-the-scenes event going on is I’ve been getting back to speed on how to make user interfaces using the existing tools. In the old DOS days, you would run a program called SETUP.EXE that would let you setup all the control keys and what not. I want the control customization to be directly in the game like a good modern game.
And as this work proceeds, I’ve come to find out there is a couple of UI widgets that were never completed that need some attention before this new control user interface will work. In particular, a custom text on button widget will be used.
And the Ball Rolls On
On we go. Spawn of Lysle is still playing the game daily and letting me know of problems. Edward is also playing the game looking for bugs and problems. I even have a sound artist working on cleaning up the music a little bit (they currently don’t loop very well).
After I get the controls working, I want to put in a better ‘ESC’ menu (which pulls up the controls, exits a level, etc.) and then I’m going to get the Networking game play working. Networking play is number one of Spawn’s list of features as he wants to play with his dad.
So, here is an interesting question for everyone: Which method of networking is best? Use DOS Box’s IPXNET feature and have the Windows version connect too? This would be cool … DOSBox versions could then connect with Windows players! I’m thinking a community server would also be provided to allow everyone to join up with each other. Or maybe do something more custom and leave the DOS Box versions out? Of course, I could also just drop the whole Windows version and go DOSBox only. Choices choices.
Amulets & Armor Developer 
Wonderful! Exactly what I was thinking as far as the grabbing items goes. Looks perfect.
I’m not an expert on connection types, but I really hope you don’t drop the windows version. I’m sure most of the people playing would prefer not to use dosbox just to play this game (Even if most of us golden-oldies gamers use it). The key to any good internet game is stability and ease of connection. It’d probably be best to test different methods that you can easily access I’d bet.
Looking pretty solid so far. You might want to be more careful with audio levels in videos in the future; it was pretty hard to hear you over the game audio.
As far as networking goes, it basically comes down to how much effort you want to spend writing it. From my perspective, fully rewritten netcode based on a client/server model using UDP would provide the smoothest gameplay with the most potential for future expansion, but it’s also the hardest to implement (and would remove the possibility of compatibility with the DOS version). The DOSBox option is probably the least effort, but it’s inevitably going to have some quirks here and there. Perhaps stick with DOSBox-based netplay for now and consider doing more in the future?
Either way, I would definitely prefer to use the Windows version. I think most people would agree on this. It should make it a bit easier to pick up for new players, as well.
Yeah, still messing with audio levels on the videos. I’ll get it, but CamStudio is a little weird (the other game capture tools don’t seem to want to capture the game). If I have to, next time I’ll just do the game sound on one and mix in a separate track — I know how to do that.
To clarify things, I generally do want a Windows version and there will be one. I think there is more upside going this route (3D accelerated version, higher resolutions, more advanced tools, etc.). I’ll keep the game source code in a form that’ll allow it to be ported to other platforms.
Oh man… it’s times like these I wish I had the talent to make an android port of that source code. I can only imagine the huge amounts of fun I’d have running around, questing, on my Xperia Play. That’s one major benefit to Dos and old-bit platforms, the ability to run just about anywhere.
Dear Developers,
What about copyright to the old version of the game, do you have it? Can you release it on gog.com, or in some other way so people who never played the game could get it legally?
We have the copyright. The game is going to be released in the near term at http://www.amuletsandarmor.com. You can sign up for notification of the release at http://amuletsandarmor.com/mailing.htm